Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde’s new film starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, will open the 38th Haifa International Film Festival on October 8, 2022. The psychological thriller, which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, has already generated much conversation and media attention. Wilde’s sophomore film is worlds apart from her first film Booksmart (2019), a fun, clever, feminist take on the coming-of-age/friendship/teen mayhem genre. In Don’t Worry Darling, Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) Chambers are young and in love, and live in the picture-perfect company town of Victory, California. Jack, like the rest of the town’s husbands, works for the mysterious Victory company, while Alice, like the other wives, is free to spend her days enjoying a carefree, comfortable lifestyle. Alice, however, has other thoughts. The secretive nature of Jack’s work has her wondering and asking questions, sensing that something is wrong. Chris Pine (Wonder Woman) stars as Frank, the town’s founder, with Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians) as his wife Alice. Director Olivia Wilde also takes on an onscreen role as Alice’s friend Bunny. Don’t Worry Darling will be shown at the festival courtesy of Tulip Entertainment and will be released in cinemas on October 13, 2022.
Closing the Haifa International Film Festival will be Shemi Zarhin’s much anticipated new film The Silence. One of the most esteemed and successful Israeli filmmakers, writer and director Zarhin’s films include Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (2003); Aviva, My Love (2006); The World is Funny (2012); and The Kind Words (2015). The Silence merges family drama with political intrigue. Moris Cohen stars as Avihu, a television personality with a big mouth, whose life is becoming more complicated by the minute. His mother Sarah (Levana Finkelstein) has suddenly stopped speaking, falling into a complete silence, and he has no idea why. His beloved former student Aviv (Oshri Cohen) has somehow become the leading candidate in the elections for prime minister, even though no one knows his views as he declines to give interviews and does not talk or give speeches. Aviv remains silent on the way towards victory, a silence that challenges Avihu and to the extent of risking his career and family. The Silence will be shown courtesy of Pie Films and United King Films.
